For in-person classes, LACC Extension will be following LA County Covid guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
And other questions you may not have thought to ask...
What is LACC Extension (formerly Community Services)
LACC Extension at Los Angeles City College is a not-for-credit program that offers classes, workshops, seminars, clinics, field-trips and other offerings open to the community and supported by the fees paid by students attending each offering.
What kind of classes do you offer?
In a nutshell, our offerings are for folks looking to acquire a skill, knowledge, or an experience without the need for grades, tests and other aspects of college courses that are "for-credit." Though much of what we do can be considered "classes", we also offer a range of other formats including, workshops, seminars, clinics, field-trip excursions and so on.
Whether it's for a career change, a basic introduction to a subject, practice and polishing your existing skills, or just for fun, LACC Extension has something for you!
What exactly is not-for-credit and what does it mean to me?
As the name implies, the term "not-for-credit" refers to a course that does not offer credit toward a degree, for transfer to a 4-year university or for an accredited academic Skill Certificate or Certificate of Completion. Any of the class offerings you take with us cannot be used directly for these purposes, but the skills and knowledge you acquire may help you when you do take similar classes for credit, or can be used to "test the waters" of a subject you're not sure about.
Because there are no grades for LACC Extension, there are no transcripts. We do offer "Award of Completion" certificates for any of our classes that you completed at least 90% of to verify that you took the class (see below), but we offer no warranty or claims as to how or whether other individuals or entities will recognize these documents.
Are there other names that your program goes by?
Other community colleges and universities may call their Community Services programs "Extension," "Community Education," or "Lifelong Learning" programs.
Where will my class take place?
Room/location assignments will be given by phone and/or email as late as the day prior to the start of your class. This is because classes for the LACC Extension at Los Angeles City College have a lower priority for facilities than classes “for-credit” and we don’t have any facilities that are under our direct control. Therefore, we actually don’t know what rooms are available until the “last minute.” We apologize for this inconvenience, but we ensure you that there are dedicated staff members who will ensure all non-cancelled classes have a location.
Why did my class get cancelled?
We are required by the State of California to be self-supporting through the fees we charge students for each LACC Extension class offering. As a result, from time-to-time we must cancel classes that don't have sufficient enrollment to cover the costs of the instruction and overhead.
What happens when a class gets cancelled?
When LACC Extension cancels a class offering, the following procedure will be followed:
1. We contact you by telephone or email to notify you of the cancellation.
2. We ask you if you would like to transfer to a different class offering.
a. If you choose to transfer, we will apply your payment amount to the cost of the new class and issue you a refund for the difference if the cost is less than your original class, or ask you for payment for the difference if the cost is more.
3. If you tell us you would rather have a refund, we will process a full refund via the same payment method originally used (to the same credit card, or issue a check for cash payments).
Refunds will be processed up to 30 working days after we confirm your request but usually within a week for credit/debit card transactions. This time range will also depend on your credit card issuer’s own processing timeline. Refunds for payments made in cash usually take longer because they require signatures from various LACC administrators. Feel free to call us for updates on your refund status.
Are these classes covered by Financial Aid?
Because the State of California has deemed our class offerings as being fundamentally different from for-credit courses, they are not covered by federal or state-sponsored Financial Aid or fee waivers. From time-to-time we offer much longer and more expensive classes aimed at preparing you for a new career, these classes may have financial assistance arranged through a contract partner of ours and this will be noted in literature provided by our partner.
If your classes are not-for-credit, what are they good for?
Our classes are all about what you learn and the experience you have in them. Many students use these classes to see if the subject is something they want to pursue for-credit. Some students may gain knowledge or skills that help them in their careers or classes for-credit. Others use the knowledge and skills to start a new career altogether. Finally, many students simply take our classes for fun or to be able to do something they've always wanted to be able to do like play the Ukulele or speak French.
Is there any tangible document I can get from your program?
We offer an Award of Completion for $10 each, for any of our classes. You must have completed 90% of the class(es). Simply give us call and request an award with the class you want listed on there. Series of classes such as medical terminology can all be listed on one certificate; otherwise, it's usually one class per certificate. Some of our classes, such as QuickBooks or Bartending, offer an award or similar document by the end of class; these are usually included in the cost of the class. We offer no warranty or claims as to how or whether other individuals or entities will recognize these awards of completion.
Where can I find you?
You can find our convenience window on the main campus in the Administration Building Room 112. This building runs along the campus' west side, at approximately 844 Heliotrope Dr. We are in the small booth across from the Sheriff's Office. You can also visit our LACC Extension Office at the Economic Workforce Development building room 501 (also known as the "Old Bookstore Building"). We are open Monday-Friday from 9 am to 5:30 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm. Please note that our hours do change during holidays and school breaks.
Why should I sign up early?
Because we make a decision to cancel a class based on low-enrollment 48-24 hours prior to the start of a class, signing up early helps us have the most accurate information when we make this decision. Signing up early instead of waiting until the last minute could make the difference as to whether a class is cancelled!
Refunds & Transfers? Choose your classes carefully!
All requests for refunds or transfers must be made at least two business days before the start of class and are subject to a $10 cancellation fee per class. Requests made after two business days will not be honored. Transfers are limited to once per class.
What discounts are available?
If you checked "Yes" on our mailing list preference at registration, you will receive unique discount codes from time-to-time via email. Additionally, we'll usually have a range of different discounts for all or specific classes listed in the print catalog every quarter.
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